Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Dopaminergic sub-network connectivity alterations are associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction: Results from the observational BioCog cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Higher dopaminergic connectivity to regions associated with spatial perceptive processes and lower connectivity to cognitive control-related areas may predispose to POCD.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥65 years with Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) ≥24 presenting for elective major surgery, tertiary care centre, Germanyof 747 included
- Participants
- 214 patients
- Exposure
- Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) vs no POCD
- POCDn = 26
- Outcome
- POCD (Reliable Change Index); connectivity between VTA or SNc and 132 regions
- Follow-up
- 3 months after surgery
Methodological detailssingle-centre, exploratory voxelwise analysis
- Single-centre
- Exploratory voxelwise analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
POCD incidence and association with dopaminergic FC · 3 months
POCD
12%
26
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Postoperative alterations of dopaminergic networks (exploratory voxelwise analysis)
- Alterations observed in a left temporal cluster
Original publication
Dopaminergic sub-network connectivity alterations are associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction: Results from the observational BioCog cohort study. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Published 17 February 2026. doi:10.
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